Assessing aromaticity and the degree of aromatic condensation of pyrogenic carbon

Fire-derived, pyrogenic carbon (PyC) is a persistent organic carbon fraction in soils because it is relatively resistant against chemical and biological degradation. PyC thus represents a carbon sequestration potential in the global carbon cycle and was also reported to be potentially beneficial for soil fertility. PyC is naturally added to soils during wildfires and anthropogenically in the form of biochar, after organic waste is pyrolyzed. Aromaticity and the degree of aromatic condensation are the two main quality properties of PyC that probably determine its persistence against degradation. Consequently, the two properties largely influence the PyC's carbon sequestration potential as well as the duration, during which it can provide benefits to the soil. Aromaticity and the degree of aromatic condensation of PyC should theoretically be dependent on pyrolysis conditions, such as highest heating temperature or pyrolysis time, and also depend on the feedstock. In this study, we used two different pyrolysis procedures and four different feedstocks to produce four thermosequences of 38 chars in total, with highest heating temperatures ranging from 100 - 1000° C. The chars were then analyzed with an extensive suite of seven different methods: solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), diffuse infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT), synchrotron-based near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (NEXAFS), benzene polycarboxylic acid analysis (BPCA), lipid analysis, elemental analysis and helium pycnometry. These methods allowed to infer the aromaticity and the degree of aromatic condensation of the differently pyrolyzed materials. Using multivariate statistical methods, aromaticity and the degree of aromatic condensation could successfully be linked to highest heating temperature and other pyrolysis conditions because characteristic patterns of the two aromatic properties could be observed by different methods throughout all four thermosequences. Moreover, we show, which methods are most suitable for an assessment of the aromatic properties of PyC and discuss their advantages and limitations. Different methods show the distinct pattern for aromaticity and the degree of aromatic condensation of chars with increasing highest heating temperatures (HTT).